


A Cat Named Meatloaf

by NormieScum



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: ? - Freeform, Angry Boyfriends, Angst, Cliche bring a cat home and fix all your marital problems, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, EreJean Week 2017, Erejean week 2k17, Fluff, Fluffy Angst, Gets you every time, M/M, Pet prompt, Really short but I wanted something to upload, domestic angst, erejean - Freeform, happy ending :"), jean x eren - Freeform, jeaneren - Freeform, not really - Freeform, snk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 03:05:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10505109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NormieScum/pseuds/NormieScum
Summary: But tragically, they loved each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Jean becomes noticeably upset in the manga when people cry and I wanted to study that a little bit. I live for domestic Erejean having healthy arguments. Happy Erejean week!

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The crowded streets were covered in a thin layer of snow, people bustling up and down in a rush to get home to their families. Except for Jean, however. He walked down the left side of the street slowly, wearing a gray pea coat and a scarf draped around his neck and mouth. The tall blond was lost. Okay, not literally lost but without a doubt, lost.

After a particularly nasty fight with his partner, he didn’t have anywhere to go. The one bedroom apartment didn’t give them enough room to be apart and Eren had made it clear they needed space. Or at least he thought he had, the male couldn’t remember much because he’d been so infuriated.  

It seemed like all they did was fight anymore. They’d been together for just over a year so the honey moon period was over and he found himself distant and bitter from the other male most of the time. In fact, they’d never really been close even before they were friends it was constant bickering. But it wasn’t because they disliked each other or anything ridiculous like that. They were both opinionated and never wanted to admit when they were wrong so a lot of arguments went on until they just forgot why they were even mad. Jean was tired of it being that way, it wasn’t easy at all and he’d considered leaving a lot of times. As did Eren. But tragically, they loved each other.

So here he was, in the freezing cold while Eren was at home cuddled under their heated blanket. The thought only made him more hostile. Why was it always him that got cast out?

His thoughts cut short when Jean sighted a small speck of brown perched under a parked car. Normally he didn’t pick up on small details but when he saw movement, his eyes immediately snapped downward. As he approached, he noticed it was a small cat curled up under the running car in hopes to find some sort of warmth.

“Me too, buddy.” He muttered to himself, putting one foot in front of the other he continued to walk. But, his eyes locked with the small creature and he stopped.

Those deep shades of viridian green bringing Jean to a quick halt. When he shut his eyes, he realized he’d only seen that color once before. And along with it, that worry. That expression of defeat, he’d seen it once before.

In fact, he’d seen it right before he left the apartment.

The look in Eren’s eyes when he was overwhelmed. It was a painful sight and Jean began to realize it was the reason he was always the one to leave. Being out here in the cold, it was better than being at home seeing Eren hurt. His lover had never been easily overcome. He had a fighting spirit and it took a lot to break his will so Jean had never really expected their fights to take such a toll on him. But now, out here in the freezing cold with this scruffy cat, he’d come to a revelation.

Normally if he were going to compare Eren to an animal, it’d be a puppy because of obvious reasons. But something about this cat struck a nerve in him the way his boyfriend did.

“Why am I always the one bringing home losers?” He let out an aggravated sigh, talking to himself was a bad habit he’d developed but he wasn’t even sure when he’d started doing it. There were a lot of ways he distracted himself when he fought with Eren but this wasn’t exactly the one he was expecting or wanted. It wasn’t much of a distraction at all but these days they were hard to come across since practically everything reminded him of Eren.

As much as he wanted to just walk away from the kitten, he couldn’t. He bent at the knees to lean against the car and scoop up the ball of tattered fur. He’d half expected it to run and a part of him wished it would, but the cat allowed itself to be caught.

“C’mere little guy.” He tucked the wet cat away inside of his jacket and pulled the scarf higher up on his face to cover his nose. Turning to go back to he and Eren’s apartment, he let out an exhausted sigh.

He didn’t have far to walk and the small cat resting against his chest bobbed its head with each step he took. In all honesty, the blond had never been a cat person so he wasn’t sure what they were going to do with him but they’d figure that out later. All that mattered to Jean right now was getting out of the cold and the cat was a perfect excuse to go home. Or at least, he told himself that was the reason he was going home so soon. He had no idea what he was going to say, he’d never returned with his tail tucked between his legs so quickly before and half of him expected Eren to greet him at the door with laughter. Mocking him for being such a lovesick fool, it would probably be pathetic to him.

But after the creak of the door opening, Jean was met with initial silence.

Instead of the laughter he’d expected to hear upon returning, Jean wasn’t greeted at the door at all. In fact, he would’ve expected Eren was gone but when he listened closer he heard a desperate noise coming from their bedroom. At first, he wasn’t sure what it was, maybe the television.

But as he kicked his boots off by the door, he realized the sound was Eren crying. The tall male was awestruck for a moment, his brow creasing in worry as he waited for his lover to realize he was home. But when the weeping carried through the thin walls of their small apartment, he swallowed back his pride. His heart shattered and he put one foot in front of the other to approach the sound. Only it felt like he was losing a piece of himself with every step, the metaphorical fragments of his heart leaving a trail from the front door as he went.

He’d never heard Eren cry before. After a whole year of being together, the brunet never lets Jean see him this way. Mikasa had told him that Eren cried. A lot. But he’d never seen it first hand and hearing this now, he was thankful for it.  

When he got to the bedroom door, he heard Eren start to sniffle. He was trying to calm himself down because he’d heard Jean approaching. The brunet wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to force his face to contort in anger. As if he could fool Jean into thinking he was still mad instead of horrible unhappy.

Opening the door, Jean stood under the frame for a few seconds. Just staring at his boyfriend expectantly as if he was waiting for an excuse or an apology but nothing came. Eren kept eye contact with the blond for a while but eventually dropped his gaze.

“You were crying.”

Eren considers denying the claim, but his lip trembles and he lets out another outburst.

“What of it?”

Jean doesn’t even know what to say, so he approaches.

Taking the cat out of his jacket and setting him down on the bed, he says nothing and neither does Eren. Hell, the brunet didn’t even act shocked by the new addition. A small hum of approval slipped past Eren’s lips and he scooped up the unkempt animal off the bed to hold him in his lap. Gently petting his damp fur and admiring him as if he’d never seen a cat before.

The sight was enough to curve Jean’s frown into a soft smile, his hazel eyes softening and fixating on the two in front of him. Eren had a motherly way about him and it showed from the way he handled the cat.

As an unmarried, 20 something broke gay couple, Jean was almost certain he and Eren would never be parents. It wasn’t practical with as expensive as it was and the thought left both of them inconsolable, to say the least. So, just maybe he already felt a little too attached to the idea of this kitten. He found himself moved by the sight of Eren checking over the animal for injuries, the look of worry in the brunet’s eyes.

The blond slipped out of his coat and sat on the bed beside Eren, their thighs brushing together.

“Where did you find him?” Eren looked up at Jean for the first time since he’d returned and the taller male can’t even meet his gaze because he knows what he’ll see and he can’t handle any more heartbreak today.

“Uh…he was hiding under a car. I was afraid he’d get run over.” Eren frowned at this, hugging the small animal to his chest.

“He’s so sweet…did you name him?” The thought hadn’t crossed Jean’s mind so he shook his head.

“I thought we could name him.” There’s a silence for a few moments and the blond just assumes that Eren is thinking about a name but when he hears the crying start again, he’s taken back.

“Eren?”

“You came back…was it just because of the cat?” He doesn’t even have to think about his, his arms are instantly wrapped around the brunet.

“No, I was gonna leave him there.” Jean’s eyes meet with Eren’s and he pulls the smaller male against his chest. One of his large hands rested on his lover’s back, between his shoulder blades, to massage gently. “But he reminded me of you…As lame as that is.” Eren sucks in air, Jean had never been a sweet talker. If anything, he says the wrong thing more often than he doesn’t in the name of brutal honesty.

“That is pretty lame. But, I’m glad for it.”

“Really? I thought you’d be mad I came back so soon.”

“No. I’m still mad, though.”

“I am too.”

“I know we fight a lot but…I don’t want to break up. You know that right?” Eren’s voice is hushed as if he’s telling some elaborate secret when its honestly just common sense to Jean.

“I…hoped that was the case. I don’t want to break up either.” He leans down to press a soft kiss to the top of Eren’s forehead. His free hand finding its way to his partner’s thigh. “I’ve never heard you cry before.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t bring that up again.”

“I can’t not, are you okay?”

Eren hesitates, looking down at the shivering kitten. “We should feed him-”

“We will in a second, I just want to make sure you’re okay first.”

“I’m fine, I just hate when you leave.” A whole year of struggling is apparent on Eren’s face, Jean can see it in his eyes. He searches for an explanation and luckily his boyfriend gives it to him. “It’s been like this for as long as I can remember. When you come back, I’m usually fine but we’re in this together and we should be able to see each other when we’re not fine. I don’t want you to go anymore.”

“I won’t leave you, I promise.” For the first time in a while, Jean says something and doesn’t doubt himself.

“Meatloaf.”

“Uh, what?” Jean squints, looking down at his boyfriend with an indescribable amount of confusion collecting in his smile.

“I wanna name him Meatloaf.”

“…Because we had meatloaf for dinner last night?”

“Yeah, so?”

“You’re not very creative, Eren.” The brunet shoves him playfully before catching the fabric of Jean’s shirt to pull him back and into a needy kiss. It’s apologetic and sweet, the taller can feel the anxiety practically melting off of his body at the gesture. His hand rests on the smaller male’s cheek to deepen the kiss with no intention of stopping. Jean has a habit of biting at Eren’s lower lip whenever he’s trying to initiate something intimate and the brunet has quickly caught on to the action. He remembers the small things about Jean and now that he knows Jean does the same, he’s at ease. Resting his palm to his eager lover’s chest, Eren pushes him back softly yet firmly.

“Not in front of Meatloaf. Besides, I haven’t forgiven you enough for that yet.” Jean rests his forehead to Eren’s and his lips curve into the familiar cocky grin the male usually has. He steals another quick kiss before pulling away.

“Fine, but only because I don’t want to scare the cat.”  

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End file.
